Sydney artist, writer, painter and decorator Michael Quinlan died in November, 2011. The Limerick man made his way to Australia in 1963 after spending some time in England, where he travelled widely in the merchant navy.

Former Ireland Calling host Vince Murray passed away peacefully on December 23, 2011. He had suffered a massive stroke in early November and never recovered. He was 71. Michael Lyons remembers his friend as “the voice of the Irish in Sydney for more than 25 years”.

Over time, a degenerative condition slowly robbed Michael Hickey of his ability to walk. That didn’t stop him from enjoying life though, writes his son-in-law Rolf Muller.